Matt Collins
09-09-2010, 07:21 PM
Annual Report: Road Conditions Improve, Highways In Best Shape In Two Decades (http://click.email.reason.org/?qs=9a92dee6dc67a28b09e5887b8d3fa4a1aa8261e8cd6c07 6cd936d26015185e7e)
State road and highway conditions are the best they’ve been in 19 years, according to Reason Foundation’s 19th Annual Highway Report. Unfortunately, the recession is partly responsible for the improvement in road conditions: people are driving less which has helped slow pavement deterioration and reduced traffic congestion and fatalities. The annual Reason Foundation study measures the condition and cost-effectiveness of state-owned roads in 11 categories, including deficient bridges, urban traffic congestion, fatality rates, pavement condition, and the number of unsafe narrow rural lanes. National performance in all of those key areas improved in 2008, the most recent year with complete data available.
The report's findings include:
-Drivers in California, Minnesota, Maryland, Michigan and Connecticut are stuck in the worst traffic. But nationally, urban Interstate congestion is at its lowest level since 2000.
-Motorists in California and Hawaii have to look out for the most potholes on urban Interstates. Alaska and Rhode Island have the bumpiest rural pavement. Across the country, pavement conditions are the best since 1993.
-Rhode Island has the most troubled bridges in the US, with over 53 percent of its bridges deficient. Over 141,000 (23.7 percent) of America’s bridges were structurally deficient or functionally obsolete in 2008, the lowest percentage since 1984.
-Massachusetts has the safest roads with just 0.67 fatalities per 100 million miles driven. Montana and Louisiana have the highest fatality rates, at 2.12 and 2.02 fatalities per 100 million miles driven. Today the U.S. Department of Transportation announced fatalities in 2009 fell even further, to the lowest level since 1950.
-Overall, North Dakota, Montana and Kansas have the most cost-effective state highway systems. Rhode Island, Alaska, California, Hawaii and New York have the least cost-effective roads.
Reason Foundation's complete Annual Highway Report, with detailed state-by-state analysis, is online here (http://click.email.reason.org/?qs=9a92dee6dc67a28b09e5887b8d3fa4a1aa8261e8cd6c07 6cd936d26015185e7e).
USA Today: New Report Shows State Highways in Good Shape (http://click.email.reason.org/?qs=9a92dee6dc67a28ba9d9de06444867afdbf0ca6b5e7d16 2fc48d3238410d5760)
Reuters: Bumpy Economy Cited as Helping Improve U.S. Roads (http://click.email.reason.org/?qs=9a92dee6dc67a28b40329905e12ff25a54357f4d7af9f4 288c7587f0841bf71b)
Bloomberg: U.S. Highway Funds Have Greatest Effect on Rural States, Reason Study Says (http://click.email.reason.org/?qs=9a92dee6dc67a28b5796a633464d1b86e58e5f1f6fc3ae e61adb0be9f995240b)
State road and highway conditions are the best they’ve been in 19 years, according to Reason Foundation’s 19th Annual Highway Report. Unfortunately, the recession is partly responsible for the improvement in road conditions: people are driving less which has helped slow pavement deterioration and reduced traffic congestion and fatalities. The annual Reason Foundation study measures the condition and cost-effectiveness of state-owned roads in 11 categories, including deficient bridges, urban traffic congestion, fatality rates, pavement condition, and the number of unsafe narrow rural lanes. National performance in all of those key areas improved in 2008, the most recent year with complete data available.
The report's findings include:
-Drivers in California, Minnesota, Maryland, Michigan and Connecticut are stuck in the worst traffic. But nationally, urban Interstate congestion is at its lowest level since 2000.
-Motorists in California and Hawaii have to look out for the most potholes on urban Interstates. Alaska and Rhode Island have the bumpiest rural pavement. Across the country, pavement conditions are the best since 1993.
-Rhode Island has the most troubled bridges in the US, with over 53 percent of its bridges deficient. Over 141,000 (23.7 percent) of America’s bridges were structurally deficient or functionally obsolete in 2008, the lowest percentage since 1984.
-Massachusetts has the safest roads with just 0.67 fatalities per 100 million miles driven. Montana and Louisiana have the highest fatality rates, at 2.12 and 2.02 fatalities per 100 million miles driven. Today the U.S. Department of Transportation announced fatalities in 2009 fell even further, to the lowest level since 1950.
-Overall, North Dakota, Montana and Kansas have the most cost-effective state highway systems. Rhode Island, Alaska, California, Hawaii and New York have the least cost-effective roads.
Reason Foundation's complete Annual Highway Report, with detailed state-by-state analysis, is online here (http://click.email.reason.org/?qs=9a92dee6dc67a28b09e5887b8d3fa4a1aa8261e8cd6c07 6cd936d26015185e7e).
USA Today: New Report Shows State Highways in Good Shape (http://click.email.reason.org/?qs=9a92dee6dc67a28ba9d9de06444867afdbf0ca6b5e7d16 2fc48d3238410d5760)
Reuters: Bumpy Economy Cited as Helping Improve U.S. Roads (http://click.email.reason.org/?qs=9a92dee6dc67a28b40329905e12ff25a54357f4d7af9f4 288c7587f0841bf71b)
Bloomberg: U.S. Highway Funds Have Greatest Effect on Rural States, Reason Study Says (http://click.email.reason.org/?qs=9a92dee6dc67a28b5796a633464d1b86e58e5f1f6fc3ae e61adb0be9f995240b)